8 Tips to Greatly Improve Your Basketball Dribbling Skills

Dribbling and ball handling is often thought to have the same meaning. However, they most certainly have different meanings.

Dribbling a basketball can be practiced alone and simply involved the act of dribbling the basketball on the ground. Ball handling understands the game and involved decision making in addition to passing and dribbling.

Improving your dribbling skills involves a lot of practice and it can be a simple task. There are various dribbling drills that you can use that will greatly improve your dribbling. One of the more widely known set of dribbling drills are referred to as "Maravich Drills." These drills were named after Pete Maravich, one of the best ball-handlers that ever played the game. Maravich Drills include dribble figure 8s, drop and catch, spider dribbling, and passing the ball around your body

Improving your ball handling involved using your imagination and your ability to put your own in game situations.

Ways to Improve Your Dribbling & Ball Handling Skills

Keep your head up the entire time. When practicing, look at the hoop or pick out a spot on the wall to focus on while you dribble. This will help you get use to not having to look at the ball while you dribble.

Dribble the basketball with intensity. By bouncing the ball hard off of the playing surface, the ball will spend more time in your hand. The harder you dribble the ball, the faster it will be back in your hand.

Be creative and use your imagination. Try to visualize how you would use the dribbles in various situations.

Control the ball with your fingertips. Do not use the palm of your hand to dribble. This will give you much more accurate control while you dribble.

Try to get your opportunities with 1 dribble. Defenses are not beat by your dribble, they are beat with your feet.

Do not over dribble. You do not need to dribble twice when you can do it in one dribble.

Basketball involves visualizing and using angles. Move your body in straight lines. Whenever you make a side to side move, quickly come back with a direct path towards the basket

Venture away from your comfort zone. Experiment with different techniques and go faster than you are use to. When you are practicing, you do not need to worry about losing the ball. When you lose the ball, pick it up and try it again. It is difficult to improve your dribbling skills if you stay in your comfort zone.